Damages for Bangla Hindus

Dhaka, Feb. 9 (PTI): A Bangladeshi court today ordered the government to pay over Taka 4.34 million (around Rs 35 lakh) as compensation to Hindu families who were attacked for an alleged blasphemous post on a popular social networking site.

Unidentified persons vandalised 29 homes, 10 shops and seven temples at Bonogram Bazar in Pabna district in November last year following allegations that a boy from the Hindu minority made a blasphemous post on a Facebook page, said deputy attorney-general Biswajit Roy.

The government was asked by a high court bench of Justices Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and A.BM. Altaf Hossain to pay the compensation within three weeks.

The bench further directed police to arrest those responsible for the attacks.

Following an earlier directive from the court in November, authorities formed a probe body to assess the damage caused by the attacks.

The assessment report was submitted to the court last week. After examining it, the court passed the order today, Roy said.